238 BEYER AND BARTON. 



Exactly at uoon Bimdinlan spoke to the priests and they all stood 

 up together, shouting at the tops of their voices : "Attention ! ye Deities 

 of the Sky World, for we are about to bury a beheaded man !"-° This 

 cry was taken up and repeated throughout the whole line of waiting 

 men, and they fairly made the hills ring with their shouts. Six of 

 the highest ranking priests at once left the plateau and went to the 

 house, from which place, after glancing at the body to see that it was 

 all right, they proceeded to the head of the procession. Each of the 

 three leaders carried two spears and wore a peculiar back-basket of 

 the type called i-nab-nu-tan.^'^ The three following priests each carried 

 a spear and a shield. They advanced very slowly, dancing all the way 

 a peculiar dance which represented a mimic fight. This was accom- 

 panied by much low-voiced muttering and occasional loud cries. About 

 half of the men in the procession carried shields and the other half 

 bangihang. The- tattoo upon the shields and the playing of the wooden 

 musical instruments was kept up all the way from the house to the tomb. 

 For the greater part of the distance the body was carried about midway 

 in the procession, but as they neared the tomb the men carrying it 

 advanced to a position just behind the leading priests. The women, 

 children, and men not taking part in the procession stood in scattered 

 groups and lines on the hillsides and along the walls of the rice terraces, 

 where they could get a good view of the proceedings. The wife and 

 mother of the dead man were the only women in the procession. They 

 followed just behind the body. 



Men for whom the munliimuiig ceremony is performed are not buried 

 in ordinary graves, but in large tombs called gungat, hollowed out in the 

 mountain-side. 



These tombs are from to 8 meters across and about 1 meter high. The roof 

 is supported by pillars of earth or stone which are left at frequent intervals. 

 There are 6 of these tombs in Banauol elan district. The opening is walled up 

 with stone, and in front of each a quick-growing tree called hana'ii ^ is planted. 

 The rate of growth of this tree is known, and it is cut off near the ground each 

 time a burial is made. The people are thus easily able to tell when the last burial 

 was made in that tomb. 



The distance from Bahatan's house to the tomb where he was buried 

 is about 3 kilometers, and the procession was fully an hour and a half 

 in reaching its destination. When the leaders had arrived at the place, 

 the procession halted and those in the rear began slowly to disperse. 



'°"G6pa-g6pan dakayun Bagol ad Daya, ta mitnhimung-kami!" 

 '^ The appearance of the priest wearing this basket is extremely grotesque. The 

 basket is covered with long black needles made from fern-tree roots, and as the 

 priest stoops in the dance these needles stand erect all over his back like 

 the bristling quills of a porcupine. 



^Also sometimes called tungob. I do not know the scientific name. 



